1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to automobile garment hanger brackets, and more particularly to a clothes hanger bracket having a base plate which is hung from an existing automobile garment hanging hook, an outwardly extending hanger extension to receive conventional clothes hangers, and a support adapter accessory to additionally support the base plate against the automobile interior trim.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Many automobiles are equipped with small garment hooks located near the ceiling of the vehicle above the rear side windows or rear portion of the automobile. These small garment hooks only hold a single garment or a small number of garment hangers. Due to the small size and sometimes awkward location of the hook, it is often difficult to hang or remove garments from the hook. Because the existing hooks are incapable of holding a large number of garments, they are not suitable for use when traveling, picking up garments from the dry cleaners, and other times when large hanging capacity is desired.
Others have attempted to solve the small hanging capacity problem of the existing automobile garment hooks. One type of garment hanging device comprises an elongate bar which is supported at opposite ends on the existing hooks and extends from side-to-side across the rear portion of the automobile. However, when in use, the large number of garments supported on the bar obstructs the driver's view through the rear window, and prevents use of the back seat for passengers. U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,532,907 and 2,617,571 to Hart disclose other bar type garment hanging devices.
Seidler, U.S. Pat. No. 2,528,794 and Kramer, U.S. Pat. No. 2,728,503 disclose garment hangers which utilize only one side of the vehicle for the hanging garments. However, these hangers are complex constructions and could not be manufactured economically.
Silverman, U.S. Pat. No. 3,002,666, Robertson, U.S. Pat. No. 3,275,161, and Toms, II, U.S. Pat. No. 3,708,093 disclose garment hangers which are supported on one of the existing vehicle garment hooks. These devices lack lateral support and stability and are subject to swinging or pivoting as the vehicle moves. These devices also are not adaptable to fit various sizes of existing vehicle hooks.
White et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,778,089 discloses a telescoping rod which is adapted to be supported on the existing vehicle garment hook or beneath an interior grab bar of the vehicle. This device also lacks lateral support and stability and is subject to swinging or pivoting as the vehicle moves.
The shape and size of the existing garment hooks varies with the make and model of the automobile and commercially available garment hanging devices may fit one automobile hook but not another.
Gabbert, U.S. Pat. No. 4,863,081 discloses a garment hanging rack which is designed to overcome the stability problem and, to some extent, offers some adjustability to fit various makes and models of automobiles. However, the Gabbert device is fairly complex in construction and would be expensive and difficult to manufacture.
The present invention is distinguished over the prior art in general, and these patents in particular by a removable and adjustable clothes hanger bracket for mounting on a fixed garment hook in the interior of a vehicle to increase garment carrying capacity. The bracket includes a flat rectangular base plate and a detachable flat triangular hanger extension. The base plate has an adjustable opening at its upper end for hanging it on the fixed garment hook and a slotted portion and support portion on its front surface. The hanger extension member is removably received and supported in the slotted and support portions of the base plate and has an outer end extending upwardly and outwardly therefrom with a notched top edge for supporting a plurality of garment hangers and a hooked portion at the outer end. A pair of removable tabs disposed in the rectangular opening of the base plate allow the size of the opening to be selectively altered to receive different sizes of fixed garment hooks. A support adapter accessory is also provided which is slidably and removably received on the base plate and extends rearwardly therefrom to contact the interior trim of the vehicle adjacent the fixed garment hook. The rearward extension of the support adapter is adjustable to stabilize and support the rectangular base plate in a generally vertical position against various types of automobile interior trim profiles. When properly installed, the base plate is positioned generally vertically and the hanger extension extends outwardly and angularly upward from the base plate.